Buckshot colic: case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Three weeks after a shotgun wound to the chest and abdomen, a patient developed acute ureteral colic caused by a migrating shotgun pellet. The pellet passed spontaneously. A search of the literature revealed 25 similar cases of this unusual complication of missile injuries to the abdomen. These cases are reviewed and analyzed. Ureteral obstruction from migrating retained missiles is an unusual complication of missile injuries to the abdomen. Cases have been described occurring after shotgun, gunshot, and shrapnel wounds. Cases involving bullets and shrapnel fragments usually have had long latent periods after the initial injury and required surgery to remove the obstructing projectile. In contrast, cases of "buckshot colic" from shotgun pellets present earlier and often resolve with spontaneous passage of the pellet. The following report illustrates how conservative management can be successful in cases of "buckshot colic."